The Virtual Organization Matrix: Studying Virtual Organizations through Classification

摘要

Virtual organization has been well documented as both a tool for organizations to seek further profitability through the removal of traditional barriers as well as a method to extend the provision of services to clientele in a manner previously achievable by only large, multi-national corporations. The widespread implementation of information technology and its many applications in modern business have moved the act of management towards a virtual focus, where managers are able to complete tasks through the use of teams in varying physical locations, with members that may or may not be employees of that firm, sharing a wide variety of data and information. With so many companies now employing virtual organization techniques, referring to a company as "virtual" or to its components as possessing "virtuality" lacks the clarity and specificity needed when using these firms as examples for others. The variety of methods through which a firm can achieve virtuality represents a span nearly as wide as the business community itself. The purpose of this paper is to provide a more universally applicable method of comparing multiple virtually organized corporations. This work extends the principle of a "virtuality degree" in providing a guideline for classifying virtual organizations based on their virtual dimensions. The virtual organization matrix, presented below, contains categories which firms can be placed into according to their maturity in that area. In order to further the refinement of the virtual management structure, a measure of progress should be applied both in practice and academic study. Without a scheme for assessment, organizations may find themselves lacking guidance for improvement into virtuality.